The present invention relates generally to the field of datacenter architecture, and more particularly to the monitoring, visualization, and alarming systems to identify the existence of power redundancies in power line segments between information technology (IT) equipment and power sources.
Power Distribution Units (PDUs) are commonly employed to distribute power to electronic devices. One environment in which PDUs are commonly used is a datacenter. A datacenter is a facility used to house electronic devices such as computing systems. These computing systems may be used for storage, application processing, and network traffic routing purposes. It is important that such systems be provided with an uninterrupted supply of power. PDUs typically draw power from a supply circuit equipped with circuit breakers, which is connected to a power feed (i.e. power from a power company's electrical grid) and then supply that power to the power supply units connected to electronic devices, such as computing systems. A power supply unit typically draws power with a particular voltage from a PDU and transforms that power into a form that is readily usable by the electronic circuitry of a given computing system.
Many large scale electronic devices such as the computing systems typically used in a datacenter are powered by multiple power distribution units. A datacenter computing system typically receives power from at least two different power distribution units (which can include electrical outlets) with each power supply unit receiving power from a PDU. The two power supply units powering the computing system may or may not be receiving power from the same PDU, however, having a computing system draw power through multiple PDUs, which are connected to different circuits, improves the reliability of the computing system. For example, a particular computing system may be drawing power through two different PDUs, each PDU receiving power from a different circuit connected to a power feed. Supplying power with such an arrangement allows the computing system to continue receiving power in the event that one PDU or circuit is disrupted (i.e., power supply redundancy/reliability).
As the environments in which PDUs operate become more complicated, power distribution network structures also become increasingly complex. A computing system which utilizes power supply redundancy often draws power from multiple power supply units which must be installed in a specific manner to minimize the possibility of a single point of failure in the system. In the process of setting up a power distribution network or expanding it, human error may leave some electronic devices without a fully redundant power supply through the incorrect connection of power supply units to PDUs.